The Pittsburgh Steelers have filled one of their open practice squad spots, signing RB Aaron Shampklin to their practice squad Wednesday.
Shampklin was waived by the Steelers on Monday prior to their game against the New York Giants. That move made room for RB Jonathan Ward, who got the nod due to his higher special teams value.
Aaron Shampklin has appeared in his first three NFL games this season. He logged 28 offensive snaps and another 14 on special teams, recording six carries for 17 yards. He also saw work on third downs while RB Jaylen Warren was held out of the lineup due to a knee injury.
Undrafted after a strong college career at Harvard, he broke into the league in 2022. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Chargers and even spent a stint in the UFL before being signed by the Steelers in January. Pittsburgh carried him on its offseason and summer roster, bringing him to training camp. Shampklin had a solid showing, displaying burst and moderate power. Our post-camp report on him was generally positive, Shampklin earning a B-plus grade.
“Camp stats for running backs don’t mean much but he registered a healthy 4.4 yards per carry and was consistent throughout camp. He didn’t fumble on any of his 32 carries. Shampklin surprised and impressed in pass protection, giving rookie LB Payton Wilson all he could handle, and displayed special teams value. He worked as a backup PP/up-man on the punt team during practice and in the preseason opener.
If there’s a negative, his vision is spotty. Shampklin has a tendency to not get vertical through the hole, looking to bounce to the corner. Not so much behind the line of scrimmage but once he gets into the second level, his eyes tend to wander instead of getting to full speed and trying to run through an arm tackle.”
Waived at final cutdowns, Shampklin didn’t make the Steelers’ initial practice squad. But he was brought back after veteran Boston Scott went down with an injury. Pittsburgh promoted Shampklin to their 53-man roster in early October. But he lost ground to Ward the last two weeks, inactive in Week 7 and replaced on the roster in Week 8 once Ward ran out of practice squad elevations.
With his signing, the Steelers have two practice squad spots still open. The team has a bye to round out its roster before playing the Washington Commanders in Week 10.
